Card holding attachments for tables



March 1, 1960 w MORGAN CARD HOLDING ATTACHMENTS FOR TABLES Original Filed April 18, 1951 IN VEN TOR.

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2,926,918 CARD HOLDING A'ITACHMENTS Fen TABLES James W. Morganrwichita Falls, Tex.,- assignor to Wayland D. Keith, Wichita Falls, Tex.

Application February 15, 1954, Serial No. 410,381, now

Patent No. 2,818,261, dated December 31, 1957, which is a continuation of application Serial No. 221,640, April 18, 1951. Divided and this application February 21, 1957, Serial No. 641,610

4 Claims. (Cl. 273-150) This invention relates to new and novel attachments for card tables and the like for holding cards or other playing pieces in position for visual inspection by the player and to provide an auxiliary rack for holding special accessories. This application is a division of application Ser. No. 410,381, filed Feb. 15, 1954, for Card Holding Attachment for Tables, now Patent No. 2,818,- 261, issued Dec. 31, 1957 to James W. Morgan, which application was a continuation of application Ser. No. 221,640, filed April 18, 1951 for Card Holding Attachment for Tables by James W. Morgan, now abandoned.

Due to the current popularity of games requiring more than one deck of cards, with each player being required to have more cards than can conveniently be held in one hand for visual inspection by the player, this present device has been designed. The device is also helpful to handicapped players who do not have complete use of the hands. as canasta, rummy, or other games of similar nature, it is often desirable to arrange cards in groups or books so they may be seen at all times by the player for playing at the proper time, and yet leave the hands of the player free to partake of refreshment or to pick up cards.

An object of this invention is to provide a device for holding cards for playing at such an angle as to be visible to the player, which cards can be arranged as the player desires, but which are not visible to the other players at the table.

Another object of this invention is to provide an attachment for card tables or the like for holding more cards than can readily be held in the hands, but leaving the playing surface of the .table substantially free to receive the cards being played thereon.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a card holding device that is off-set from the top of the table along the outer edge thereof so as to make the cards less visible to the opposing players.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a card holding attachment for cardtables and the like, which may be readily folded and collapsed into a rela tively small space for shipment or storage.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an attachment for a card table which combines the features of holding cards for the respective players at the proper angle for visual inspection, and an accessory rack for supporting the card holding rack, which accessory rack serves as an auxiliary table for refreshments, ash trays and the like.

This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters designate like parts in the several views thereof, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective top view of the assembled card holding attachment for a card table, with parts broken away and shown in section to illustrate the details of construction;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows,

. and showing the playing cards in place;

Fig. 3 is a perspective bottom view of the corner of the card holding attachment, showing one of the longitudinal card holding members and an accessory rack in full outline, and a complementary longitudinal card holding member in dashed outline attached thereto, with a latch member shown, but not in latched position;

Fig. 4 is a perspective bottom view of the complementary longitudinal member to the member shown in fulloutline in Fig. 3; a

5 is a fragmentary sectional view of a corner of a card table showing the card holding attachment installed thereon, and showing the accessory holding rack seated on top of the card table so as to position the card holding attachment a spaced distance downward from the top of the card table; and a I Fig. 6 is an elevational view of the card-holding attachment demounted and collapsed into a compact unit- In the playing of games, such 1 suitable for storage or shipment.

With more detailed reference to the drawing, the numetal 1 designates generally one form of the card holding attachment, which comprises four longitudinal card holding members 2 having mitered ends 3, which, when fitted together, form. the attachment into a substantially rectangular frame for installation around a card table 6, in such manner that the longitudinal card holding members 2 surround the table, as indicated in Fig. 5, and are supported in the position shown by accessory racks 7,

each of which is secured to one end of a stem 8. The longitudinal card holding member is secured to the other end of stem 8. When placed over a card table 6, the accessory rack 7 is adapted to rest on the corner of the table, which will space the longitudinal card holding members 2, each of which has a groove 2 angularly disposed therein as indicated in Fig. 2, downward so when a card 10 is placed in a groove 9, the card will be positioned so it may be viewed by the player. The grooves 9 are preferably of such width as to admit several cards to be inserted thereinto in overlapping relation or in stacked relation, so they may be readily identified by the player.

Most card tables are of standard size, but may vary slightly in the mechanical details of construction, with some having rounded corners, others having square corners, and still others having cleats at the corners. The present device is so constructed as to be applicable to all types of tables. A cutaway notch 11 is provided at the inner side near the corner of each end of each longitudinal card holding member 2, which enables the card holding attachment -1 to be fitted on tables with or without corner braces.

Each longitudinal card holding member 2 has a stem 8 secured to one end so a portion of the end of the stem will extend outward from the mitered end 3 and have an upstanding dowel pin 13 therein. A complementary end of a longitudinal card holding member having a hole 14 formed therein which receives the dowel pin 13 in such manner that the longitudinal card holding members fit in abutting relation so that the adjacent mitered end of the complementary card holding members 2 are held against lateral movement with respect to the dowel pin, while the latch member 15, secured by means of a screw 16, to the lower side near an end of the abutting longitudinal card holding member on which the pin is positioned, is swung across the mitered joint against the dowel pin 13, to lock the longitudinal card holding members 2 together for use on the table to prevent longitudinal movement of the longitudinal card holding members 2 with respect to the dowel pin.

'It is preferable to have the accessory rack attached somewhat eccentric with respect to stem 8 so that the center of the rack will be located approximately in align- Patented Mar. 1,1960

meat with the corner of the table. In this manner, the attachment will seat upon tables that are of the same size as the inside of the attachment, or on tables that are smaller, so long as the accessory rack engages the top of the table.

Card tables are generally about thirty inches square, and with the groove 9 extending the full length of the longitudinal member 2, a deck of playing cards can be displayed insuch overlapping relation that the indicia of the entire deck is readily readable, and each card can be selectively removed as it is played by the player, which greatlyexpedites the playing of games involving the use of a large number of cards. While the groove, as shown in Fig. 2, is shown to be of a thickness to hold two cards,

it is preferable to have the groove of such thickness as to hold approximately four cards, and so positioned that card 10Will rest therein and be supported by the edge of the table, as shown in Fig. 5.

'While playing cards have been described particularly, it is to be pointed out that the longitudinal members 2 extend outward and are off-set below the top of the table 6, so that dominoes or other playing pieces may be arranged on the ledge formed between the longitudinal card holding member 2 and the table. In the case of dominoes, the backs can be placed against the edge of the table 6 so as to be supported thereby so that the faces thereof will be hidden from the opposing players and the pieces will not be readily tipped over if the table is jostled, but, if they are tipped over, they will invariably fall with the faces thereof downward on the ledge.

Due to the size of the assembled card holding attachment 1, the detachable joints, comprising dowel pin 13 and latch 15, makes possible the disassembly of the device for fitting the parts together into a compact unit for shipping, as shown in Fig. 6, which also makes it possible to store the unit, when not in use, in a very small amount of space.

It is to be pointed out; that the accessory racks 7 provide support for the longitudinal card holding members and also serve as racks apart from the main portion of the playing surface of the table, for holding beverage containers, ash trays and the like, within easy reach of the individual player, and while these have been shown to be round, they may be of any desired shape.

While the device has been shown and described in some detail in one embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that changes may be made in the minor details of construction, and adaptations made to different installations, without departing from the spirit of the invention, or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A card holding device for a table, comprising elongated members forming a frame, each of said elongated members having an elongated groove formed along the upper side thereof, which-grooves. are adapted to receive playing cards therein, a stem secured at its lower end to an end of each of said elongated members, a head secured to the upper end of each of said stems, the under surface of said heads being adapted to rest on the top of said table to support said frame about the perimeter of said table.

2. A'card holding device for a table, comprising elongated members forming a frame, each of said elongated members having an elongated groove formed along the upper side thereof, which grooves are adapted to receive playing cards therein, a stern secured at its lower end to an end of each of said elongated members, a head form ng an accessory rack secured at the upper end of each of said stems, the under surfaces of which heads are adapted to rest on the top of said table to support said frame about the Perimeter of said table, and said accessory racks being adapted to receive articles on the upper face thereof.

3. A card holding device for a table having a top, said device comprising elongated members forming a frame, each of said elongated members having an elongated groove formed in the upper side thereof, said elongated members being parallel with the respective, adja- 44 A card holding device for a rectangular table comprising elongated members forming a rectangular frame, each of said elongated members having an elongated roove formed in the upper side thereof, which. grooves. are adapted to receive playing cards therein, a stem rigidly secured to one end of each of said elongated members at its lower end, and which elongated members protrude outward in overlapping relation with the adjacent end of a complementary elongated member, latch means interconnecting said adjacent complementary member to said stern, a rack formed on the upper end of each stem, the under surface of which is adapted to rest upon the top of said table to support said frame, the upper surface of said rack being adapted to receive an article thereon, and said stems being adapted to support said frame around the perimeter of said table a spaced distance downward from the top thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,504,634 Luce Aug. 12, 1924 2,394,866 McClune Feb. 12, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS 238,947 Great Britain Aug. 27, 1925 nan-v1: u. 

